The present invention relates to a receptacle for catching and containing coins being disgorged by a slot machine or similar gaming apparatus.
A well established feature of a gaming institution is the clatter of coins as they are disbursed from slot machines. A player inserting a coin or coins into a slot machine is rewarded upon a winning pull by the disbursement of coins. The coins drop into a resonant disbursement pan from which the coins are collected. The disbursement pan is designed to resonate the sound of coins dropping therein, so as to add to the atmosphere of the gaming venue.
The design of the disbursement pan in a conventional slot machine does little for the benefit of the player. The noise associated with the coins dropping into the disbursement pan is a distraction to the player who is concentrating on the game. An additional aspect of playing slot machines is the decision when to transfer one""s wagering from a given slot machine to another. The process of collecting coins from the disbursement pan of a slot machine following play is both time consuming and awkward. It is common to drop coins from the disbursement pan onto the floor in the process of collecting coins from the disbursement pan. Furthermore, an element of strategy involved in playing slot machines is to allow other players to xe2x80x9cprimexe2x80x9d a machine by wagering more coins than the machine disburses to them, then beginning play in anticipation of an imminent jackpot. As part of such strategy, it is advantageous to a player to conceal from other players the number of coins a machine has disbursed in the course of play.
The present invention is adapted to insert into various sizes and shapes of slot machine disbursement pans and thereby provide advantages to a player. The present invention catches disbursed coins as they fall from a slot machine and contains the coins therein, in so doing, the clatter of coin disgorgement is muffled, and others are unaware of a player""s success at a slot machine.
The present invention is a receptacle for catching and containing coins being disgorged from a slot machine. The receptacle includes a bucket having a mouth and a lid having a flexible conduit extending therefrom, the conduit having an inner diameter suitable for the passage of gaming tokens or coins when the receptacle is disposed within the disbursement pan of a slot machine. The lid is adapted to selectively seat to the mouth of the bucket such that any coins or tokens passing through the conduit are contained within the bucket. The receptacle is optionally modified to include a handle or a strap attached to either the bucket or the lid. The flexible tube of the receptacle is flexed to accommodate the present invention within a given disbursement pan. Preferably, the flexible conduit terminates in a flared edge which serves to funnel coins into the conduit.
Other advantages of the present invention will be appreciated by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein: